Married, same-sex couples to file joint taxes this year

irs tax gay lgbt equality

Washington (AP) – What’s new when you file your taxes this year?

Same-sex married couples should have an easier time filing taxes as a result of a Supreme Court decision last June. With gay marriage now recognized across the nation, gay and lesbian couples can file as married, filing jointly on both their state and federal returns.

Lisa Greene-Lewis, CPA and editor of the TurboTax blog, said that before the ruling, some couples had to prepare as many as five separate returns. Now, she said, “The process is as any married couple.”

The arrival of the new year means it’s time to start thinking about gathering the documents needed to file taxes. They include W-2 forms reporting wages or salaries, which employers will send out this month. You’ll also need Form 1099 reporting interest and dividend income, Form 1098 showing interest paid on a home mortgage, and Form 1095-A if you bought coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

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